Work It Out
by wittyplayonwords
Summary: It's their first year apart. Can they work it out? A snapshot of four lives. "There's a chance that we may fall apart before too long. We can work it out."


A snapshot into the Life of Ginny Weasley. Back at Hogwarts, she copes with Fred, Harry, and N.E.W.T's

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><p><em>It won't be long yeah, yeah,<em>  
><em>Till I belong to you<em>

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><p><em>Harry,<em>

_I hope this letter finds you well. I hope this letter finds you at all. I understand the need for secrecy in regards to your location, but I do wish I knew where you were._

_Everything here is oddly unchanged. I still head to class everyday, sleep in the same dormitory and talk to the same people. I think everyone's frightful memories of the battle are beginning to fade. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it though. I understand other's need to move on with their lives, but I don't think that night will ever leave me._

_I am a bit lonely here without you. This summer it felt like I could never find a moment alone, the Burrow was always so full of people (not that I'm complaining!) and now it's as if I have far too much alone time. Luna and I are here helping each other through but it's not the same._

_George is doing well with Ron's help. I hear news of the two of them every few days. Is Ron writing you as well? I hope so; I may have to hex him if he doesn't._

_I must admit that I miss you dearly. More than I did last year I think. Last year I had loads of things to distract me from you, and now it's just homework and N.E.W.T's. I think the worst part of it all might be that I know I will see you soon. Christmas is a bright spot on the horizon and frankly I can't wait._

_Sadly I have nothing more to report. Classes are going well, I miss you, the castle is back in working order, I miss you, and I have been reinstated as Quidditch captain. (Did I mention I miss you?)_

_I hope to hear back from you soon, and I wish to hear everything you can tell me about training._

_With all my love,_

_Ginny_

_P.S. Please never show this letter to any one of my brothers. We would never hear the end of it, for I'm sure I've never written anything quite so sappy._

Ginny Weasley was back at school for one final year. And honestly she didn't like it. She desperately wished to be home with her family working through the hard time that had plagued them since that fateful summer night. It was difficult for her to be joyful about the downfall of Voldemort because it had cost her family so much for it to happen.

It was the second week in September when the Hogwarts staff along with Kingsley Shaklebolt christened a new fountain on Hogwarts grounds in remembrance of the all the lives lost during the Great Battle. Ginny hadn't wanted to go. She didn't need yet another reminder that her brother was gone forever. She didn't want another reminder of what she had almost lost. But under Luna's fierce gaze and quiet pleading, Ginny caved and attended the ceremony with her.

She felt oddly numb throughout the whole thing. Others around her were weeping openly into handkerchiefs, and leaning onto one another for support. She stayed still and solid as she listened to the speakers say beautiful things about the many people who had lost their lives, and how much the world owed those brave souls. She could feel Luna's eyes on her as they spoke about the waters 'purifying the lost and calming the hurting'. She refused to cry. She felt as if all she had been doing was crying recently, and she was sick of it.

She was heartbroken of course. One of her great protectors was gone. Forever. And that was a difficult thing to grasp. Her heart broke all over again whenever she looked George in the face, and felt guilty every time. How dare she be weak around him. He had lost one half of himself, and Ginny would never understand that pain. She wished she could help him overcome that loss, but deep down she knew that her funny, innovative, and witty older brother would never be the same.

Applause broke her from her thoughts. The ceremony was over. Luna was wandering up to Michael Corner, sensing Ginny's need to be alone and Ginny thanked her silently for it. She walked up to the base of the fountain. Unlike the stone edifice in the courtyard, this fountain blended more into the natural scenery. Grass grew right up to the base of the fountain and Ginny was surprised by it's size. It was large enough that a full sized person could sit in the pool at the base and be covered up to their chin by water. The edge was nice and rounded, but large enough to sit on. And etched on the large base were names. The names of the dead. And while she didn't want to look, she couldn't help herself. Her heart pounded faster with each name she read, her eyes snagging on the names that were familiar. Finally she found it._ F. Weasley. _Her eyes welled up at the sight of it, and her throat got tight. Sitting down on the lush grass, she sat there, listening to the twinkling of the water, and tracing her finger over the letters. There it was. Her now daily reminder of everything that would never be right again.

"Ginny." A voice behind her called softly. It was Luna, Ginny knew it without even having to look. "We're missing Herbology."

'_Right. Classes. N.E.W.T's. Real life._' However much she wanted to go back up to her room and cry her heart out, she couldn't. Fred wouldn't want that and she knew it. He also wouldn't have wanted her to go to class either, but she assumed he would forgive her. Smiling wryly at that thought, she pressed a kiss to the etching of her brother's name, gathered her bag, and walked to where Luna was waiting.

It was nearing October when she got Harry's reply. The letter was short, but filled to the brim with as much information he could give. He was taking a one year Auror course (at his own insistence) to freshen up his defense skills. It was a sort of 'bootcamp' and the location was very secret, not only because of Harry's notoriety but also because of the covet nature of the Auror profession. Ginny had openly scoffed at the idea when he had first told her, but now she assumed it was a good choice. Harry's letter told her that he was working harder than he ever had, but the general overtone was that he was very excited. He also added that he missed her and couldn't wait for his Christmas break when they would see each other again.

Ginny lapped up his words. Correspondence between them had been non-existent last year, and scarce before then. She was giddily learning as much about him through his letters and liked their newfound closeness. She had been happy to discover that he had scratchy handwriting that got larger and loopier when he wrote fast. She also adored that he was able to convey his excitement and longing for her company in surprisingly few words.

She had read the letter so many times that the parchment had become soft to the touch. She wrote back to him quickly, telling him all about the fountain, the O she had received on her first N.E.W.T level essay (Charms), Gryffindor's conquests on the Quidditch pitch, and how she had finally hexed Romilda Vane for her snide comments (she had also told him of her resulting week of detention for it).

It was nice. Harry had changed after the Battle. He had become more carefree, and it was startling to many in the Weasley clan to see _Harry Potter _smiling and laughing more freely than he ever had. He had helped Ginny through her summer, telling her all about the past year and the many adventures he, Hermione, and Ron had been on. At first she had been jealous to hear that Ron and Hermione were so close to him, but that soon faded once she saw how happy he was. It turned out Harry Potter's smile (so rarely seen before) was contagious, and Ginny often found herself smiling along with him, even when she didn't want to.

Harry had become the bright spot in her life and she enjoyed it immensely. However patience was a virtue that Ginny had never received. She wanted to be near him, see him smile, hear his laugh and his low voice, listen to his stories and surprisingly sarcastic anecdotes. She missed him more than ever before and hated having to wait until Christmas to see his face.

Frankly put, she was completely, head-over-heels, one hundred percent in love with Harry James Potter, and she didn't know what to do with herself.

_Harry,_

_I know it won't be long until we see each other again, but I do miss you terribly..._

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><p>This is my own little take on the year after the war. Ginny's back at Hogwarts, Hermione's at school for Magical Law Enforcement, Ron works at Weasely Wizard Wheezes with George, and Harry's being rushed through Auror training.<p>

And yes, this doesn't follow JKR's canon. It's my own. But it's not too far off base.

Song:The Beatles


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